PHOTO CHALLENGE: Relic…What images does “relic” conjure for you? A well-worn piece of blue beach glass, the faded pencil markings from a high-school journal, or the curmudgeonly character from the CBC television series, The Beachcombers?
‘A life well-lived’ she ponders: “What’s the meaning?”
As days and seasons waterfall, cascade,
And misdeeds from an ancient past remind,
Becoming shard-like, sharp, (though memory fades).
It seems so long ago, when they were younger,
When blinded eyes ignored the rose-tint shade,
As inner voices battled, risking heaven,
Conspiring to mislead her far astray.
Today, though laugh lines feather ’round her eyes,
The rosy filter’s gone, her view now clear,
She sees that he has always been her shepherd,
Their dandelion dreams kept ever near.
She’d have caressed the heart so freely given,
Surer shielding it from worldly fray,
It was the only thing she regretted,
But ever thankful, that she’d found her way
A way to live the fairy tale they’d crafted,
A chance to ride the thermals o’er the skies,
A time to soothe old hurts and craft new visions,
To see their boundless future in his eyes.
He’s there to catch her fall, to glide her softly
Over the valley, moonlight lights the way,
Ever hand in hand, each other guarding,
True love to last their lifetime and always.
“It was the only thing she regretted.”
the rules: shaken, not stirred
Your post must be dated July 6, 2014, or later.
Submissions must be 750 words or fewer.
Submissions must be fiction or poetry.
You must include the following sentence ANYWHERE in your submission: “It was the only thing she regretted.”
Stillness settles in upon my soul Each dewy dawn before the world awakes, From distant towns and leas I hear the wave of waking birdsong welcoming the sun, Washing near as night skies fade away, The nightingale departs, his nocturne ends. Morning!
It was with some trepidation that I boarded the #1 bus at Penn Station. A summer job at Stanley Tools seemed to be the next best thing to an actual internship in industry; and the summer between junior and senior year at Newark College of Engineering demanded a significant notch in my experience belt. Besides, I didn’t have many other options.
After a few days of meeting people getting used to the office routine (including learning to operate the terrifying switchboard), I settled in as an all-around back-office person. Within a couple of weeks, I’d transitioned into a temporary role as the Assistant to the Production Manager. The work itself was fun, as I familiarized myself with SKU’s and specifications, for the full line of hand tools; and assisted the PM in running production stats, quality reports, and throughput projections.
Along the way, I became enamored of the switchboard and its spiderweb complexity of criss-crossing lines and potentially devastating toggle switches, when I wasn’t otherwise immersed in the fascinating world of ball peen hammers and hand tools.
But it was a natural facility with scheduling and the ease with which I conquered the steep learning curve, that allowed me to become a contributor. I loved the work and genuinely liked my boss, who took me under his wing. Unlike other summer gigs (i.e. the summer of ’65: 10 weeks of long, hot days, ‘imprisoned’ in an oppressively confining room of file cabinets and an equally oppressive clique of girls and women – workmates /cell mates) this was a team of ‘adults’ who appreciated that I had adaptable skills that could benefit their operations.
In the years that followed, I would recall this summer with fondness, grateful to have had the experience. It was here that I first realized my penchant for Project Management, for viewing all things as logical sequences of activities; and for being part of a well-functioning team.
The summer of ’66 flew by, and I was sad to leave; but it was with great anticipation that I rejoined the game, the final sprint on my journey to become a Chemical Engineer. Turning the page that ended the “Stanley Tools” chapter of my journal, I opened to the next: “Senior Year.”
***
This entry in my Engineer’s Journal, was inspired by the Friday, July 4th Light and Shade Challenge, with the prompt that included a photo of a well-used, Stanley measuring tape.
As I peruse my vacation photos from last year I pause at this one, the personification of this week’s Photo Friday theme: SUNLIGHT.
Anticipation, mixed with a healthy dose of nostalgia, overwhelms me, as I know our first-floor, lagoon-view, room has been forever changed by the construction of DVC Villas directly in front of ‘our rooms’.
So I will languish a little longer amidst the happy memories that this picture evokes:
Of steamy mornings when patio doors are dripping with condensation
Of slipping through and behind the blackout drapes and heavy sliders to emerge into the blinding, golden dawn
Of barefoot meanderings across dewy grass, grainy sand and lava paths, up to ‘Sunset Pointe’ to catch the Sunrise
Of the renewing silence that precedes the fun-filled frolicking, typical day at WDW and The Polynesian Resort
Of seeing signs of life back on my patio, where grandsons and Grandpa gather for breakfast
Of boxes of donuts, fruit bowls, Cheerios and coffee secured from the ‘kitchen’ (aka The Poly’s Concierge Lounge)
Of greeting each family member as they, too, wipe the sleep from their eyes to convene on the patio to plan the day’s activities
Of ‘sunshine-in-your-eyes’ promises to reconnect (like homing pigeons), here on this patio, regardless of diverging day’s adventures
Of looking forward to the ‘new’ Poly, and forging new traditions.
John Denver was right : “Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry!” *****
“When did you know you were lost?” he asked (so wise),
Since he’d been there and back, a long time yore
he’d gone too far astray, his sad demise
lay fossil-like: a starfish washed ashore.
His journey was circuitous, yet sure
of his intent, he forged beyond the seams,
To sear the fabric, cutting to the core
Deluded by the cloak of fleeting dreams.
His question hit her hard, or so it seemed,
She’d hidden far too well, her fatal flaws
well-masked, and cloaked by foolish, flighty schemes,
Now suddenly in view, beyond the gauze.
Their eyes locked hard, her answer soft, intoned:
“I didn’t! Help me find my long way home.”
Speakeasy rules:
Your post must be dated June 29, 2013, or later.
Submissions must be 750 words or fewer.
Submissions must be fiction or poetry.
You must use the following sentence as the FIRST line in your submission: “When did you know you were lost?” he asked.
You must also include a reference to the media prompt.
The speakeasy is for submissions written specifically for the grid. Please don’t submit an entry if you intend to showcase it to another blog link-up. Such posts are deleted without notice and you’ll find yourself wandering the desert looking for dessert.
Please don’t post long explanations before your post. We want your writing to be the star of the show. If you need to clarify anything, feel free to do so at the end.
Our times were strewn with rolling dunes of green, And in the grey-between the castle stood, A beacon, calling all to join the scene, To marvel at the place where we oft stood.
Each sunrise morn awakened us, like food for soul, though sleepy-eyed, we seized the day, Preparing ‘Fast-pass’ strategies, our brood would gayly ravage donut-laden trays.
As sun rose higher in the sky, we played until our legs could carry us no more, Well spent, relaxing, frazzled from the fray, We’d regroup here, at last, upon our shore.
At darkness, we would gather close to share Our dreamscape memories, beyond compare.
*****
This photograph beautifully emphasizes the lush greenness of the Polynesian resort lagoon-view, despite the slate-grey, cloud-filled skies and glistening, lava-rock paths. I selected it in response to this week’s Photo Friday theme: GREEN. However, in the run up to our annual WDW vacation, I must admit that I am saddened as I browse through my hundreds of “Poly Pics’, pausing wistfully at this one in particular; because my ‘Sunrise Hill’ (the focal point of this photo), is no more – having been replaced by major construction of Disney Vacation Club villas at the Poly.
We’ve enjoyed this vista since that first time in 1979, long before there was a paved pathway to the summit. Every morning, as the family slept, I’d trek up to the top to photograph the pre-dawn awakenings and the sunrise, as it rose above the shores of Bay Lake. Through the years, it became apparent that others had discovered this near-perfect spot in Walt Disney World. But I didn’t mind sharing, as long as I could partake.
Fast forward thirty five years, and we watched our five grandsons, a band of rag-tag pirates intent on wielding their theme park swords and shields, charging up that same hill. Together, we viewed with wonder, the nightly boat shows and Magic Kingdom fireworks from this very spot. Later, we’d walk down the hill, back to our lanai, and say a prayer of thankfulness for the indelible family moments.
I know that despite a new backdrop of DVC villas, we will make new memories when we return in August.
And yet, I cannot constrain the pesky tear escaping from my eye.
PHOTO CHALLENGE: Relic…What images does “relic” conjure for you? A well-worn piece of blue beach glass, the faded pencil markings from a high-school journal, or the curmudgeonly character from the CBC television series, The Beachcombers?
This entry in my Engineer’s Journal, was inspired by the Friday, July 4th Light and Shade Challenge, with the prompt that included a photo of a well-used, Stanley measuring tape.
Opal Reflections 